Day 72 – Black Friday Midnight Madness at Prime Outlet in Orlando

Midnight Madness at Orlando Prime Outlet Mall

This year I was finally able to attend a real Midnight Madness. Even though I didn’t buy anything (too confusing and crowded) I am glad I went. It was a cool experience and kind of exciting to go to a mall at midnight.

Here’s a short video:

Day 71 – Thanksgiving Day

What a Delightful Meal!

This Thanksgiving we stayed in Sanford and celebrated at the house of our friends. The best thing about staying in Florida this year was obviously the weather Even though it has really cooled down this year we can’t complain with temperatures in the 60s (actually feeling warmer in the sun). Most of the day we sat outside on the pation by the pool and played board games. Balderdash makes for a very fun game! You should try it out sometime, too. I bet it would make a great gift…

Balderdash Board Game

Day 70 – Amstar Movie Theatre at Colonial Town Park in Lake Mary FL

AmStar Movie Theatre in Lake Mary

This is a great time of year to watch movies Here’s a picture of the movie theatre at Colonial Town Park in Lake Mary. Since we live so close by we try to watch most of our movies here. With 10 theatres inside, chances are there’s at least one movie we’re interested in watching at any time.

Some comments:

• This is a nice theatre if you like it quiet and less busy. Compared to the much more popular location of Altamonte Springs this movie theatre usually has a decent spot inside for you even if you’re going on a busy night…
• The theatre doesn’t acknowledge a student discount.
• Prices are pretty much what is standard.
• You can add butter to your popcorn yourself which is kind of nice since you can control the amount of butter, but then again, if you’re a butter fan like me it’s not so cool if the butter doesn’t quite reach the popcorn at the bottom. Even shaking doesn’t help…
• Ask the movie theatre for special promotions going on between them and other businesses at Colonial Town Park. We missed out on a “Chocolate Promotion” once because there was no proper announcement made, however one of the stores gave out free chocolate to people who had seen a particular movie at this AmStar movie theatre. I figure it’s worth asking…

Here’s a quick link to their current list of movies.

… and now enjoy!

Day 69 – The Coffee Cafe at Colonial Town Park in Lake Mary

The Coffee Cafe in Lake Mary

One of the best places for coffee, cakes, and light meals but also a selection of beer and fine wines is The Coffee Cafe at Colonial Town Park in Lake Mary.

If you’re looking for a Starbucks alternative that also has a bit more to offer in terms of food, check it out! Their cakes and pastries are exquisite and you will also find a very good selection of light meals like a breakfast panini, various quiches, soups and salads.

The inside is cozy and comfortable with free wifi access resembling an Italian coffee bar.The Coffee Cafe seems to be a popular spot to enjoy a coffee while working on your laptop. But even if you’re just into relax you will certainly be pleased with the quiet atmosphere. There are even books and games available to spend some time.

On Fridays it’s a great pace to meet up for half price beer and wine Happy Hour from 5pm-7pm. Great for tea lovers is Tuesday Tea Day with the tea of the day half off. I especially like their cute little outside patio.

The Coffee Cafe - simply cozy!

Needless to say, if coffee beverages such as Almond-Rasberry Breeze, Mocha Bianca or Very Vanilla Latte sound deliciously interesting to you, stop by the Coffee Cafe soon. Also available are new health drinks such as Matcha Latcha, a green tea that is very high in nutrients and antioxidants, or Real Fruit Smoothies made with 100% crushed fruits.

Here a the details:

The Coffee Café
Heathrow’s Colonial Townpark
1145 Townpark Ave # 1221
Lake Mary, FL 32746
407-833-0446

Patio of The Coffee Cafe

For more pictures keep reading …

Day 68 – Thanksgiving Turkey in Sanford

Thanksgiving Turkey in Sanford

And here’s how the Thanksgiving Turkey looks in Sanford You can see it at the corner of First Street with Park. Soon there will be some Holiday decoration, not sure what it will be though…

For a nice Holiday event in Sanford remember Alive After Five’s Holiday Street Party on December 11th, starting at 5pm.

Day 67 – Shopping at Aldi

Shopping Cart at Aldi

Even though I already had a post dedicated to Aldi and its newest store in Sanford, FL (see Day 44), I wanted to just quickly put together a list of things you should know before shopping at Aldi.

Today was my official first visit at the Aldi store in Sanford and I was excited to compare it with the Aldi supermarkets I know from Germany. I actually went with another friend from Germany and it was nice to see that our opinions were the same.

Aldi continues to be one of the best value supermarkets even here in the US. Pricewise I was pleasantly surprised.

I bought some “test merchandise” and tried it so I could also compare the quality. The meal I prepared was one of the most economic meals of our times, pasta with tomato pasta sauce an vegetable. Along with it a glass of red wine. The pasta I bought was probably a little pricier than elsewhere but the taste was great (believe me, I am a pasta expert). The tomato sauce I bought was $.99 which puts it in the same price range as the one they sell at Wal Mart. However, even though I used to buy the Wal Mart one a lot, I got very tired of it soon and switched to the $2.99 Target brand which I love. So I never went back to checking out cheaper sauces. I took the risk with the Aldi sauce though and was very pleased. I might start buying a cheaper brand again The vegetable I chose was Zucchini which was on sale (a lot cheaper than at any other supermarket). Very good taste and fresh – I might start eating vegetable again. Used to eat a lot more when living in Europe since it was cheaper, fresher and I trusted the quality more. The red wine was only $2.99 and pretty good. Well, I am not a wine connoisseur and understand that good wine is sometimes pricier, but I always follow the simple principle of “good wine is the one that tastes good to me” regardless of brand, age or price. So Aldi checked out great for quality/price relation!

Here a list of things to bring when shopping at Aldi:

• Bring your debit card or cash! Just like in most European supermarkets, credit cards are not accepted!
• Bring your own bags or containers to store the products after purchasing them. European supermarkets are environmentally friendly and never give out plastic bags for free. In fact, when living in Germany I always had a linen shopping bag with me. A good idea is to have a container in your car already that you keep there all the time. Whenever you go shopping you just push your cart to the car and fill up the container with the products. That way it’s also easier to carry them inside your home.
• Bring coins with you! In order to get a shopping cart you will have to slide in coins. Aldi wants to be sure you bring back the shopping cart to the main covered shopping cart station after shopping. No more leaving your cart on the parking lot unloading the products. Keeps you fit too

Day 66 – Sanford Historic Residential District

Beyond 1st Street in Sanford

Next time you’re in downtown Sanford look beyond First Street! Especially now, during the holiday season, you will experience a great atmosphere if you walk or drive through the historic residential district after 5:30pm. That’s when most of the holiday decoration is visible. But as usual, you will also enjoy the historic charme of Sanford if you visit the district during the day. Just walk South from First Street and you’re in the middle of it. Below are pictures of some of the most beautiful houses in historic Sanford…

Beyond 1st Street in Sanford

Day 65 – Matthew Michaels Fashion Show

Matthew Michaels Red Carpet Fashion Show

A friend of us was asked by Matthew Michaels Salon and Spa in Winter Park to model at a “joint venture” fashion show so we stopped by.

The dresses that were featured in the red carpet fashion show were all courtesy of Courtney Couture, an upscale women’s retailer located in the same plaza as Matthew Michaels Aveda Salon. We got to see a diverse collection of contemporary fashion designers. The jewelry had been customized and provided by American Modern Jewelry and the BEAD Lounge, also located right by the salon. Last but not least Dream Design Florist brought in the beautiful Holiday arrangements while the wine of the evening was donated by Park Wine Merchants. Park Wine Merchants specializes in hard to find boutique wines from around the world.

Altogether it was a very fun evening. Below is a short movie showing some parts of the fashion show. The amazing hair was of course designed by the talented hair dressers of Matthew Michaels.

In case you’d like to experience the great service and fabulous environment at Matthew Michaels, here is their address and contact info:
2910 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32803, Phone: (407) 896-9892

Before the Show

The Show

Edward Doppelgaenger Brandon

And one more time I was lucky enough to meet Edward double and aspiring actor Brandon

Day 64 – Twilight Movie Premiere in Orlando

Twilight Premiere at Universal City Walk

At 12:01am in the movie theater of Orlando’s Universal City Walk on November 21st (night of November 20th) it was finally time for the premiere and midnight special engagement showing of the long expected movie Twilight. I was excited to be one of the first ones to see the movie. After reading through all 4 of Stephenie Meyer’s bestseller novels I could hardly wait to finally see the characters come to life.

Before I even start, I really want to highly recommend that you read the book before watching the movie! If you don’t you may really spoil the movie for you and obviously the book as well and that would be a shame… I actually truly believe that you will not even like the movie if you have not read the book!!!

Here’s what I thought about the movie (without spoilers and of course only for those who actually care), summarized quickly since I could probably discuss it a lot longer

Day 63 – Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar

If you’re looking for an entertaining and different dining experience in Central Florida you should check out Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. Kobe has currently 8 locations in Central Florida and Tampa.

Here’s the info about their Altamonte Springs Location:

Dining at Kobe

Address: 468 W SR-436, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Phone: (407) 862-2888
Hours: 5:00PM – 10:00PM Mon-Sat, 12:00PM – 10:00PM Sun

For more information and other Kobe locations please visit their web site at kobesteakhouse.com

What I like about Kobe:

• The experience itself makes it worth to check out one of their restaurants. With your chef preparing your meal right at your table, including a little show performance, and the authentic looking interior and clothes of the servers (not that I know but this is at least what it looks to me…remember I am blogging here and obviously whenever I give my own opinion it’s hard to be objective) you are in for a unique dinner.
• Fresh food and a delicious combination of it cooked to order. You can taste that!
• The sauces you get to dip your food in (white and red) are phenomenal in combination with the food.
• You eat for free on your birthday at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. (Please verify with each location!)

Chef at Kobe

Nice to know:

• Servings are HUGE! So if you’re not starving think about sharing a dish. I did, and I was glad! However, Kobe apparently makes a good next day lunch…
• It can be a bit complicated to have a conversation, not so much because of the noise level but because of the way the tables are laid out – long and without the chance to actually face someone in a distance that makes it possible to be heard. A group of 4 people is still fine since you can sit around a corner, but if you’re a bigger party you will have to be good at “strategic seating” if you know what I mean…
• It gets steamy and greasy! Since the food is prepared right in front of you after your dinner you will smell as if you had been in the kitchen yourself all day preparing your meal. But that’s the compromise you will have to make for this exciting dining experience!

Inside Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

Kobe Steakhouse Altamonte Springs